Method for shaping and hanging drapery material



Dec. 8, 1970 3,545,085

METHODv FOR SHAPING AND HANGING DRAPERY MATERIAL a H. C. STEWART Filed May 19, 1967 .mnu

INVENTOR.

HALBERT C. STEWART ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. C]. 33-12 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Method and apparatus for shaping and hanging drapery material as festoons. A scale pattern is formed and points are determined from which catenary folds in the drapery material must be suspended. The drapery material is cut to form in accordance with the pattern and is hung from the predetermined points such that the folds thereof fall into catenary curves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates broadly to drapery arrangements; and, more particularly, it relates to a festoon and to the method and apparatus for making the festoon.

Before the present invention, festoons were customarily made by trial and error, with all of the attendant disadvantages of such a method. Not only was the process time consuming and wasteful of material but it also resulted in an imperfect drapery arrangement that was extremely difficult to reconstruct or re-hang after the festoons were removed for cleaning. In addition, duplication of festoons to make symmetrical drapery arrangements was very difficult.

As a result of the skills and time required in their construction festoons have heretofore been very expensive, and because rehanging a festoon has also heretofore demanded the services and time of a skilled artisan, they have heretofore been only infrequently cleaned.

Objects of the present invention are to provide methods and apparatus for producing duplicative festoon with minimal expenditure of time and material, and to ensure a product of consistently high quality that may be made according to predetermined specifications, and that may be removed and re-hung by persons who do not possess special skills in the art of hanging draperies.

Important features of the invention in addition to the festoon itself are the use of templates to shape the material from which a festoon may be made, to establish suspension points therefor that have the additional purpose of fixing the fold dimensions and to provide a unique method of making such templates.

The accompanying drawings and the following detailed description disclose a specific embodiment of the invention representing what is currently regarded as the best mode of practicing the generic concepts thereof. As the following description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are designated by identical characters throughout the views, other more specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent.

THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a typical suspended festoon, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2, a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a construction layout, with a scale drawing representative as to height and width of the festoon to be constructed and used in constructing a template for establishing proper suspension points and fold positions 3,545,085 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 of the festoon, and an orthographic pattern projected from the scale drawing and used in fashioning the festoon;

FIG. 4, a suspension point and fold position template made according to the construction layout of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5, a festoon template made according to the projected pattern portion of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, fragmentary perspective views showing various ways of suspending a festoon constructed in accordance with the invention from a hanging fixture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings:

A typical festoon 20, made according to the invention, is illustrated in FIG. 1. It is suspended along its upper edge at a plurality of suspension points 22, so that a plurality of folds having apexes 23 hang in graceful curves from the points of suspension. Although it is not essential, the festoon presents a neater appearance if the portion 24 of the upper edge or, as it will hereinafter be called, base line bordering the small central portion 25 inside the innermost fold 26 is straight. This results in a small, flat portion 25 defined by the base line 24 and the innermost fold 26, which resembles a catenary. The principal dimensions, i.e., the height h and width w, of the festoon 20 are defined by the vertical length of the curved edge 27 and the distance between the suspension points 28 at which it intersects the upper edge respectively.

In the following description and claims:

Base line 24 shall mean the line defining the upper edge of the fiat, central portion 25;

Wing 30 or 31 shall mean the portion of the festoon on one or the other side of the flat, central portion 25 as shown;

Wing line 32 shall mean the construction line joining the base line 24 at each end thereof and approximating the upper edge of a wing;

Wing angle shall mean, on the flat material or pattern, the interior angle between the base line 24 and a Wing line 32; and

Fullness shall mean the ratio of the distances between fold positions on the flat material or pattern to those of the festoon in its hung position.

A duplicative festoon 20 is made according to the invention by first making a layout as shown in FIG. 3, according to given specifications with respect to the height, width, and fullness of the festoon desired. The layout may be on tracing paper or other lightweight easily handled material and the template pattern portion of the layout may later be transferred to a rigid material, to form a template. A separate template must be formed for each festoon having different principal dimensions or fullness.

The first step in making the layout is to make an actual-size, scale drawing 35a, FIG. 3, of a desired festoon, for example, like that shown at 20, FIG. 1, in its hung position. This is done by 1) drawing the base line 24' and wing-line extensions 32' thereof equal to the desired width w of the festoon, (2) extending a perpendicular bisector 36 downwardly (or upwardly) from the base line 24, (3) drawing a catenary 27, representing the outermost curved edge 27 of the desired festoon, from end points 28' on wing-line extensions 32' of the base line 24- so that it conforms to specifications for the height h and width w of the festoon 20; (4) drawing the innermost catenary 26, representing the apex of the innermost fold 26, to intersect the perpendicular bisector 36 as well as the base line 24' at innermost points 22' corresponding to suspension points 22, the innermost catenary 26 and the base line 24' defining the fiat, central portion 25'; and (5) drawing the desired number of intermediate catenaries 23 corresponding to the apexes 23,

to intersect the perpendicular bisector 36 at any desired spacing. The intersection of the catenaries with the wingline extensions 32' establishes the suspension points 22' and other salient dimensions of the desired festoon 20.

Because each intermediate fold of the desired festoon is contiguous with the remainder of the drapery material making up the festoon, and because this material, typically, is not perfectly flexible, the intermediate folds may not hang in perfect catenaries. However, it has been found that catenaries are sufiiciently close approximations to the true curves formed by the apexes 23 of the folds that they can be used in the construction layout. Also, approximations are almost unavoidable because the drapery materials are not of uniform flexibility.

The catenaries may be drawn by graphing the wellknown equation for catenaries so that the resulting curve passes through the desired points on the base line or its extensions, as well as through given points on the perpendicular bisector 36. This equation is:

where e is the base of the natural system of logarithms, c is a constant, and x and y are, respectively, points on horizontal and vertical Cartesian coordinates. However, catenaries of sufficient accuracy for this purpose may also be drawn by erecting the scale drawing 35a into a vertical position, suspending a suitable chain so that it passes through the desired points thereon, and tracing the curve of the chain onto the drawing.

The construction layout also includes a flat projected, othographic pattern portion 35b for use in making a desired festoon template. The pattern portion is constructed in accordance with the procedure described hereafter. Another base line 24", equal in length to the base line 24-, is drawn parallel thereto so that it is also bisected by the perpendicular bisector 36. The flat, central area 25' is duplicated at 25" by drawing a pendent catenary 26", corresponding to the innermost catenary 26, from innermost fold points 22 of the base line 24 at a wing angle. This angle is chosen to impart the desired fullness to the resulting festoon. The fold positions 22. and end points 28' are then projected by lines 43, parallel to the perpendicular bisector 36, to intersect the Wing lines 32" at points 22" and 28", respectively. It may be seen that the distances between mutually adjacent points 22" may be adjusted by varying the angle For example, an angle of 120 will produce distances that are twice as long as the corresponding distances between points 22' to thereby give a fullness ratio of 2. Using the innermost end points 22" of the base line 24" as centers, arcs 41 are then drawn through points 22".

The nadir 42" for the second curved edge 27" is established on the perpendicular bisector 36 by multiplying the distance between the nadir 43' of the innermost catenary 26' and the nadir 42' of the curved edge 27 by the fullness ratio, and by using the result as a distance measure along the bisector 36 outwardly from the nadir 43" of the innermost catenary 26". The curved edge 27", formed by a catenary having a length equal to that of the first catenary curved edge 27, is drawn between the outermost arcs 41 (not shown), through the nadir 42" on the perpendicular bisector 36. Intermediate catenaries 23" are drawn in a similar manner, each having a length corresponding to a catenary 23 of scale drawing 35a. The end points 22a of these catenaries mark the fold positions as well as suspension points of the resulting festoon.

A template 45, for use in marking the suspension points 22, of the festoon 20 on a wall, molding, or other fixture 46 (FIGS. 6-8) is shown in FIG. 4. It may be made by transferring the suspension points 22' and end points 28' from the pattern 35a onto a piece of flat, rigid material, such as plastic sheet or cardboard, and by marking the points thereon by holes 47.

A template 48 for making a festoon from drapery material is made by tracing the outline of the projected pattern 35b of FIG. 3 onto a suitable, flat material. The template is then cut from the template material along the dotted lines 49, which allow a peripheral margin extending beyond the base line 24", the curved edge line 27", and the lines of end points 22a. The end points 22a are then marked with holes 50 and the template is complete, as shown in FIG. 5.

In practice, the template 48 for making the festoon 20 is placed upon drapery material so that the warp and woof thereof are at 45 angles to the base line 24". The outline of the template is then traced onto the material and the end points 22a are marked on the material through the holes 50. The drapery material is cut out according to the traced outline and may, if desirable, be hemmed. This may not be necessary if it is made of a material such as polyethylene film.

FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 show representative ways of suspending the cut-out feston 20 and of fixing the folds. FIG. 6, for example, shows suspension means, such as nails or tacks 55 serving as anchor means. The nails or tacks are driven through the drapery material at anchor points corresponding to the holes 50 in template 48 and into the wall, molding or other support fixture 46 at locations corresponding to the holes 47 in template 45. In FIG. 7, the festoon material is shown folded upon itself twice at each anchor point except the end ones and it is held in place by a nail or tack 56 that passes through two thicknesses 56 of the material 41 at the anchor points, with another thickness 57 extending over and covering the head of the nail or tack 56. FIG. 8 shows an arrangement similar to that of FIG. 7 except that the nail 58 passes through the outer thickness 57 of the material as well as through the two innermost thicknesses 56. Although it is convenient to fix the folds 23 at the upper edge of the festoon 20 by the nails or tacks 55 or by other suspension means it is apparent that the folds 23 may be treated independently of the suspension points. For example, they may be fixed at the upper edge of the festoon 20 by other means, such as by sewing or clamping, and the festoon may then be hung by randomly-spaced nails, drapery rods, or perhaps simply by a hook at each end of the festoon 20.

The festoon of the invention may be used as a drapery treatment for windows, doorways, rostrums, and the like. A single festoon can be used or a number of festoons, usually arranged to be overlapping, can be employed.

If desired, the festoon can be turned around a corner without disrupting the folds and, as a result, attractive corner arrangements can be made.

No matter what the arrangement the festoons are easily hung, easily removed for cleaning, etc., and are easily re-hung.

Whereas there is here illustrated and specifically described a certain preferred process and apparatus which is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes can be made and other constructions adopted without de parting from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow.

I claim: 1. Method of making a pattern from which a duplicative festoon having a curved lower edge and a plurality of folds characterized by a specified fullness ratio, may be made, comprising the steps of making a scale drawing of the festoon in hung position, according to desired specifications for height, width, number of folds and fold spacings, and using catenaries to indicate said fold spacings and the curved edge of the festoon, said scale drawing having a first base line to represent that portion of the upper edge of the festoon that is intercepted by a first said caternary representing the innermost of said fold spacings;

extending said first base line to form first wing lines at both ends thereof;

drawing a second base line parallel to and equal to said first base line so that said base line may have a common perpendicular bisector;

extending second wing lines downwardly and outwardly from the ends of said second base line at predetermined angles thereto;

projecting points of intersections of said catenaries with said first wing lines onto said second wing lines with projection lines extending parallel to said perpendicular bisector;

drawing arcs, using the ends of said second base line as centers, through said projected points of intersection on said wing lines; drawing a second dependent catenary from the ends of said second base line congruent with that representing said innermost fold on said scale drawing; and drawing dependent catenaries having their ends on said arcs and being equal in length to corresponding catenaries of said scale drawing so that the distance of the nadir of each catenary from that of said second dependent catenary is equal to the corresponding distance on said orthographic view multipled by a fullness ratio determined by the angles formed by the second wing lines and the second base line, whereby the ends of said catenaries mark the locations of said fold spacing positions and of suspension points that coincide therewith.

2. Method of making a festoon according to claim 1, including the steps of transferring said outline, fold spacing positions, and suspension points from said pattern to a flat, flexible material; cutting said material along said outline; and positioning along the upper edge of a lateral support and attaching said fold spacings to the lateral support at said suspension points.

3. Method as set forth in claim 2, including the step of cutting a template from flat, rigid material to delineate the outline and for marking said fold positions, whereby said outline and fold positions may more easily be transferred for making a duplicative festoon.

4. Method as set forth in claim 2, including the step of cutting a template from fiat, rigid material according to said pattern, for locating said fold positions on a hanging fixture, whereby said fold positions may also be used as suspension points from which said festoon may be suspended from said hanging fixture.

5. Method as set forth in claim 2, including the steps of folding the material of said festoon upon itself twice at each of said fold positions; and passing a nail through the resulting three thicknesses of material.

6. Method as set forth in claim 2, including the steps of folding the material of said festoon upon itself twice at each of said fold positions; and passing such suspending means through the innermost two of the resulting three thicknesses of said material, so that the outermost thickness thereof extends over the head of a nail.

7. Method as set forth in claim 2, including the steps of marking the fold spacing positions of said festoon on a hanging fixture; and passing suspending means through each said fold spacing position as marked on said hanging fixture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,465,807 8/1923 Christensen 3312X 1,635,300 7/1927 Abrams et a1 33-12 3,095,649 7/1963 Wightwick 3312 3,159,206 12/1964 Susnow l330 3,442,319 5/1969 Barbour 330 HAROLD ANSHER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

